Synchronizing system for a series of motors



Nov. 14, 1933. c. H. B|.SSELL 1,934,786

SYNCHRONIZING SYSTEM FOR A SERIES OF-MOTORS Original Filedjpril 28, 1928A TT ORNE Y.

Patented Nov. 14, 1933 SYNCHRONIZING SYSTEM FOR A SERIES OF MOTORS CarlB. Bissell, Syracuse, N. Y alslgnor to Grouse-Hinds Company, Syracuse,N. Y., acorporatlon of New York Application April 28, 1928. Serial No.273,718 Renewed May 13,1932

4 Claims.

This invention relates to synchronizing means for a plurality of motorsor prime movers "and particularly to means for synchronizing streettrafllc signals and the like or the motors or prime movers which actuateor control such signals,

which synchronizing means is particularly simple and economical inconstruction, readily installed and highly efficient and durable in use.

The invention consists in the novel features and in the combinations andconstructions hereinafter set forth and claimed.

In describing this invention, reference is had to the accompanyingdrawing, in which like characters designate corresponding parts in allthe views.

' automatic timing cam mechanism for trafiic sig-' Figure 1 is adiagrammatic view of a synchronizing system embodying my invention, amaster motor and two secondary'motors to be synchronized therewith beingshown.

Figure 2 is an enlarged view of one of the secondary motors, parts beingomitted.

Figure 3 is a longitudinal sectional view of an nals and used inconnection with the master motors and each of the secondary motors.

In street traffic signals, there is usually some kind of motor means orprime movers at each intersection for controlling the setting of thesignals at that intersection. It is, in most instances, desirable tokeep the signals at the different intersections synchronized as themotors which actuate or control the signals at the intersections can notbe relied upon to accurately maintain the synchronism of the signals asthe motors do not all run at exactly the same speed under the sameconditions, and hence, the signals will gradually become more and moreout of synchronism.

1 designates generally a master motor which may be located at a' streetintersection or at a central station or tower.

2 and 3 designates the. motors at two additional intersections. Themotors here shown are of the induction disk type including a disk orrotor 4 mounted on a shaft 5 and one or more induction coils 6,connected to feed wires 8, 9.

designates generally a cam mechanism. associated with each motor fortiming the signals. The cam mechanism here'shown includes three sets ofcams 11, 12 and 13, the cam 11 controlling the go signals as greenlights, north and south on one street and the stop signals as redlights, east and west on anintersecting street; also the stop or redsignals north and south on one street, and the green lights east andwest on an intersecting street; and the cams 12 and 13 control anintermediate amber or warning light. This intermediate light may bedisplayed at equal intervals on both streets and may overlap either thegreen or red signals or may follow the green signals indicating that thechange is about to be made to the red, and not follow the red signals.

The use or manner of use of the amber signals forms no part of thisinvention.

The cams 11, 12 and 13 are here shown as made up of different sectionsfor the purpose of adjustment to regulate the extent of time they aredisplayed. In some instances, the red and green may be displayed sayiseconds on the 7 main street and 30 seconds each on the cross streetmaking a trafllc cycle of 60' seconds. In other instances, the green maybe displayed seconds on the main street while the red will be displayed40 seconds on the cross street and the red displayed but 20 seconds onthe main street and the green 20 seconds on the cross street, with atraffic cycle of seconds.

For the purpose of effecting this adjustment, the cams are mounted uponshaft sections 14and 15, the former being a sleeve and the latter ashaft within the sleeve, and the shaft 15 is adjustable relatively tothe sleeve 14 to adjust the cams, by means of a latch 16 mounted on theouter end of the shaft 15 and normally interlocked with the collar 17 onthe sleeve 14 so that the sleeve 14 and shaft 15 normally rotate as aunit.

To adjust the cams, this latch 16 may be moved out of engagement withthe collar 17 and the shaft 15 rotated by turning the latch 16relatively to the disk 1'7. Also on each cam shaft is mounted a cam orstar wheel 18 having cam surfaces or teeth which coact with the follower20, which follower actuates switch 21 having a contact 22 movablebetween the two contacts 23, 24 connected in the amber light circuit tocontinually flash the amber lights.

The cams 11, 12 and 13 coact with followers which actuate switchessimilar to the switch 21 between contacts similar to contacts 23, 24 tocontrol the green, red and amber lights. 7

In the normal operation of the signals, the flashing amber is used onlywhen the green and red and intermediate amber are locked from movement.They are locked from movement by any suitable mechanism unnecessary toan un derstanding of this invention. This lock mechanism includes rockshafts 25 and 26 having cut-outs 2'7 which when brought into alinementpermit movement of the red, green and amber ject matter of thisinvention comprises a syn-- chronizing circuit, a periodically operatedswitch in said circuit, a controller for opening and closing the switch,the controller being associated with the master motor or prime mover andusually mounted on the cam shaft 15 thereof so that the train of gears28 constitute connections between the master motor and the controller toactuate the controller, an electric responsivemeans as an electro-magnetassociated with each secondary motor 2, 3 etc. and having its windingsconnected in the synchronizing circuit so that the magnets arecontrolled by the switch, each magnet having a movable armature, meansoperated by each magnet to stop the corresponding secondary motor whenthe magnet is energized and the controller is in a predeterminedposition, latch means normally preventing the holding means frommovement and a trip device associated with each secondary motor andconnected thereto to run in synchronism therewith, and movable therebyto trip the latch means so that if the latch means is tripped while theswitch is closed, and hence the magnet energized, the motor will bestopped until the switch is again opened by the controller.

31 is a switch arm having a contact 32 coacting with a terminal 33.

34 is a controller mounted on the cam shaft of the master switch.

35 designates the electro-magnet associated with each secondary motor 2or 3 and 36 is the movable armature therefor.

The means for stopping the motor is here shown as a detent 37 carried bythe armature and movable thereby into the path of shoulders 38 on therotor or disk of the motor.

The synchronizing circuit includes a wire 39 connected at 40 to the feedwire 8 and to a binding screw 41 connected to the terminal 33. Itfurther includes a wire 42 connecting the switch arm to the windings 44of the magnets, the windings being connected to a return wire 45 whichis connected to the feed wire 9 and constitutes the feed wire for theinduction coils 6 oi; the secondary motors.

The switch 31 is here shown as an arm pivoted at 46.

The controller 34 is a cam shaped to normally hold the switch 31 closedand to momentarily open it at predetermined intervals. It is here shownas having a circular or high surface 4'? and a low portion or notch 48.The switch has a follower 49 coacting with the controller 34 and movableat intervals into the notch 48 when the notch comes in alinementtherewith. A suitable spring acts upon the follower 49 to hold thefollower in contact with the controller 34.

The armature 36 is here shown as pivoted at 54 at one end and ascarrying the detent 3'7 at its free end, the armature extending at itsfree end along the lower side of the rotor 4 with the detent extendingunder the lower side of the periphery of the rotor into position to moveradially into the path of the shoulders 38 on the disk 4. The magnet 35is arranged at one side of the disk 4 of each secondary motor.

The detent is moved upwardly by the electromagnet and movesautomatically downwardly by gravity into its normal position. Thearmature 36 with its detent constitutes a retarding member for thesecondary motor.

56 is a latch pivoted between its ends at 57 and located above eacharmature 36 and adjacent the rotor 4 of the associated secondary motor,this latch having its lower end 5'1 normally engaging the upper side ofthe armature 36 and being movable on its pivot when tripped to move itslower end 57 into alinement with a notch or passage 58 in the armatureso that if the magnet is energized, when the latch is tripped, thearmature will be actuated to move the detent 37 into the path of theshoulders 38 and hence stop the motor.

The means for tripping each latch is here shown as an arm 59 mounted onthe associated cam shaft 15 of each secondary motor, the outer end ofthe arm 59 being movable into engagement with the upper end 60 of theadjacent latch. This arm is mounted adjacent the star or point wheel 18and is mounted upon the hub 61 of a disk 62 keyed to the shaft 15 and isadjustable about the hub to regulate the time the latch 59 will engagethe trip 56. The hub is held in its adjusted posi tion by a pawl 63pivoted at 64 to the arm 59 and having a tooth 65 coacting with any oneof the series of notches 66 on the periphery of the disk 62. The arm 59constitutes a timed controlling device for actuating the latch or port56 out of its normal position.

In operation during the actuating of the master motor, the switch 31 isnormally closed and each of the magnets 35 connected to the wire 42 areenergized, and their armatures 36 held from movement by the latches 56.As the notch 48 comes into alinement with the follower 49 the switch 31will open the circuit and all of the magnets 35 will be de-energized. Ifthe secondary controls are all in step with the master controller thetrip 59 will be in engagement with the upper end of the latches 60 andupon operating the latches the armatures 36 are thus free to rise, but,as the coils 35 have been de-energized the armatures do not rise and themotors are therefore not stopped. Should any of the secondarycontrollers be ahead of the master controller the arms 59 will operatethe latches 56 and as the coils 35 are now in energized condition, thearmatures 36 will rise, stop the motors, hold them stopped until thesynchronizing circuit is broken by the switch 31 of the mastercontroller.

It will, therefore, be seen that any secondary controllers which areahead of the master will be held until the master catches up with them.Any secondary controls which are slower than the master will bestoppedin a similar manner and held until released by the master controller.

In the illustrated embodiment of my invention, this notch comes intoalinement with the follower during each revolution of the cam shaft orduring each trafilc cycle.

If any one or more of the secondary motors run in advance of the mastermotor, the trip 59 of the secondary motor so running in advance willtrip the latch 56 and the magnets being energized because the switch 31is closed, will attract the armature 36 causing it to move the detent 37into the path of a shoulder 37 and hence stop the secondary motor ormotors running in adyance and hold the same stopped until the notch 48of the controller comes into alinement with the follower 49, whereuponthe magnets will be tie-energized and the motor or motors start again insynchronism with the master motor.

I-Z any one or more of the secondary motors lag behind the master motorso that'the trip 59 does not engage the latch 56 of the motor laggingbehind, when the notch cc comes into alinement with the follower ca thenthe secondary motor so lagging behind will not be stopped momentarilybut will continue to run while the others are stopped-and then, afterthe other motors have started, the trip 59 will trip the latch 5d of themotor lagging behind and as the electro-magnet or the lagging motor isthen energized the motor lagging behind vwill be held stopped for theremainder of the traffic cycle or until the notch 48 comes again intoalinement with the follower 49.

What I claim. is:

1. A system for synchronizing a series of motors comprising a mastermotor and a plurality of secondary motors, a circuit between thesecondary motors and the master motor, a switch connected in saidcircuit and operated by the master motor for periodically energizing anddeenergizing the circuit, electro-responsive means associated with eachsecondary motor and connected in the circuit, a member operated by theelectro-responsive means andmovable into and out of position to retardthe secondary motor, a second member for retarding the operation of thefirst member by the electro-responsive means and means operated by thesecondary motor for pcriodically releasing the second member so that thesaid first member may be operated by the electro responsive means tostop the secondarymotor, said last mentioned means being adjustablerelatively to the secondary motor whereby each secondary motor may bestopped in any one of a plurality of positions relative to the othersecondary motors in the circuit.

2. In a system for synchronizing a series of motors including a mastermotor and a plurality of secondary motors, a normally energized circuitbetween the master motor and the secondary motors, said circuit beingperiodically de-ener sized by the master motor, a member associated witheach secondary motor and movable into and out of position to stop saidmotor, a movable detent associated with said member and normally 7positioned to retard said member from movement, a trip mechanismassociated with each secondary motor and operated thereby forperiodically tripping said detent, an electro-responsive deviceassociated with each secondary motor and connected in said circuit formoving the retarding member into position to stop the motor, the tripmechanism being adjustable relatively to the secondary motor, wherebythe detent member may be tripped when one secondary motor is in anyrelative position to the other secondary motors, t

partly by the secondary controller for shiftingsaicl retarding meansinto operated position to periodically stop said secondary controller inany one of a plurality of positions relative to the master controller.

4. The combination of a master motor and a secondary motor, controllersconnected to and actuated by said motors respectively, and means forresynchronizing the secondary controller with the master controllerincluding a member operable to retard the secondary motor at intervals,a second member coacting with the first member to partly control theoperation thereof, a third member operable by the secondary controllerin synchronism therewith and coacting with the second member to operatethe same, means for actuating the retarding member, and timer meansoperated by the master controller for operating the actuating means forthe retarding member, the third member being adjustable into differentpositions relatively to the second controller, all whereby the retardingmember is controlled by the timer means of the first controller and thesecond controller through the third member, and said third member isadjustable to vary the synchronizing period of the secondary controllerrelatively to the master controller.

CARL H. BISSELL.

